Product News and Recalls

Doctor weighs in on energy drink concerns

In an opinion piece for CBS 4 out of Denver, medical editor Dr. Dave Hnida weighs in on the recent concerns that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been issuing about high-caffeine energy drinks.

According to Hnida, the biggest concerns have been about four drinks in particular — Red Bull, RockStar, 5 Hour Energy, and Monster.

Recently released FDA reports have linked Monster Energy with five deaths and one heart attack since 2004, and 5-Hour Energy with 13 deaths and more than 30 hospitalizations over the past four years. Reports have also linked the beverages to increased heart rate, abdominal pain and nausea, anxiety and dizziness – resulting in stroke in some cases.

The FDA isn’t saying those products will hurt you, Hnida writes, so much as it’s saying that some people who drank the products have experienced problems.

“I’m not a big fan of these drinks, but not saying they’re deadly,” Hnida writes. “But something’s not right here.”

The drinks don’t contain much more caffeine than a McDonald’s large coffee, Hnida writes. The issue may be more about the vitamins and amino acids in energy drinks. Of particular concern is one called phenylalanine, which is an amino acid that some people genetically cannot metabolize.

Little research has been done on the energy drinks, Hnida writes, although he speculates that more will likely be coming.

He cautions consumers to limit their intake, be aware of subtle side effects, and not mix the drinks with alcohol.

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